Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series highlighting registered campaigns in the Student Government presidential election. Their publication order in The Daily Reveille is determined alphabetically, by the last name of the presidential candidate.
Kendra Davis wants to make the University feel like home for all students, and she wants Student Government to be active in that process.
She and her running mate, Louis Gremillion, feel that SG does not do all it should to represent all student voices. Their campaign slogan, “Restart: People, Not Politics,” represents their desire to be a voice for all of the University.
Between them, the two have served on every branch of SG and believe this involvement and their relationships with other campus groups make them qualified to speak on behalf of different types of students.
“Student Government needs leaders who will put students first,” Gremillion said. “Student Government needs to be an organization that represents the rich diversity and talents that LSU has to offer.”
Davis and Gremillion met in high school through student council but lost touch when they got to the University. They say this campaign has brought their friendship closer together as they realize how important it is to bridge the gap between students across campus.
The two said “Restart” aims to break the cycle of what they call a “never-ending campaign season” in SG.
“As soon as a campaign gets elected … it shifts to ‘who’s next?’ and ‘whose campaign can I be on next?’” Gremillion said.
Davis said the campaign’s goals will make SG more inclusive. Each of the campaign’s initiatives is a collaboration with faculty and existing organizations on campus.
“It’s not just us committed to the cause,” Gremillion said. “We’ve built relationships with administrators who are committed as well.”
One of the initiatives seeks to redesign SG’s delegate system. Currently, a member of a student organization can be a delegate for that group only if they are also a member of SG. “Restart” wants to change the policy so that any member of the organization can be a delegate.
“We feel like delegates should be members from all across campus that have a voice in Student Government,” Davis said.
The campaign is working on an initiative called “Being Unapologetically Me,” aimed toward making campus more accepting of the LGBT community. The initiative would analyze the University’s compliance with the Campus Pride Index, which ranks universities in terms of how LGBT-friendly they are.
The campaign is also hoping to work closely with the Student Health Center to make mental health screenings more accessible to students.
Davis and Gremillion said the state’s budget crisis has affected how they will organize their campaign. During the Feb. 19 student march on the Capitol, Davis spoke about the importance of funding higher education, saying TOPS is the only reason she can afford to come to the University.
The two said their campaign realizes the importance of forming positive relationships with legislators and protecting the state’s future.
While the pair agrees SG benefits the student body, “Restart” wants to ensure that SG is actively trying to include more viewpoints and voices.
“We don’t just talk about this for fun,” Davis said. “Louis and I really care.”